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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · pop · mug · temple · file · sharp · fan · wind

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. file — a line of people
  6. stem — to come from
  7. mug — a face
  8. pop — to visit
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pop — soda
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mug — a cup
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mug — to rob
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. pop — music
  20. file — a document
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. file — a tool
  24. stem — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com